Bazardo was pretty inefficient: 95 pitches to 25 batters faced, recording 14 outs. Then Byrdak came in to close the 5th, and issued a four-pitch walk, and Gervacio was needed to get the strikeout to end the inning. Valverde had another eventful outing - loading up the bases in the 9th, and needing 38 pitches to get out of the 9th for his 17th "save." The Marlins had 10+ hits for the 15th straight game, which is the highest total for a team since 1937 (St. Louis Browns, if I remember SportsCenter correctly)

Bazardo's pitches by inning:1st: 322nd: 203rd: 154th: 105th: 18

Did anyone who saw the game see why Bazardo was pulled - or was it a pitch count issue?

Offensively, it was all happening because of Michael Bourn. Bourn reached on a bunt single to lead off the game, then stole second, then was safe at third on a throwing error on John Baker. He scored one batter later, on an error by Cantu that sent Keppinger to second. Doubles by Berkman and Tejada erased a 2-0 deficit and put the Astros up 3-2, and they wouldn't trail again. Humberto Quintero hit a solo homer in the 4th and Bourn's triple/Keppinger's single scored another two runs for the Astros with the final 6-3 margin.

Man of the Match: Micheal Bourn. The offensive catalyst. Seven total bases (if you count the two SBs).

Goat of the Game: I'm giving this to Jose Valverde. Took a three-run lead and made it to where one swing of the bat could have lost the game. It's been since July 24, 10 appearances, that Valverde didn't allow a baserunner.

4 comments:

Ryan Sides
said...

I was was talking to my dad as it was happening (I was out helping the wife) and he said it was a laboring / pitch count issue in his opinion. He said he would have liked to have seen him try to get out of the fifth, but with runners on base every inning, already 95 pitches, etc, he can see why he was pulled.

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